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Passing Rites #3
Lies of Omission
In 1938, Margarethe von Stahle is desperately trying to practice ethical medicine despite the Nazi policy of "racial hygiene" that is forcing doctors to collaborate in the extermination of the handicapped and mentally ill. She has always avoided politics, but now she must decide whether to remain on the sidelines or to act on her convictions. At the same time, she is struggling to hold her family together, despite intrigue, secrecy, and an unforgivable indiscretion. The people she holds most dear are conspiring against her for their own ends. Neither of Margarethe's children are playing to script, frustrating her hopes for the future of the House of Langenberg-Edelheim. Perhaps the only solution is to face the truth...or tell more lies of omission.This timely novel is the third volume of the Passing Rites series, which follows the aristocratic Stahle family through the 20th century. Set in the last years before World War II, Lies of Omission addresses the challenge of resistance to the Third Reich. Despite great danger, some doctors honored their Hippocratic Oath. Ordinary citizens, working in small groups, came to the aid of the disenfranchised. A few brave souls managed to keep their moral compass, while all around them, a nation descended into collective lunacy."The writer captured the tone of the between-the-world-wars-era aristocratic Germany perfectly. The characters were complex and nuanced, and their story arcs compellingly told. I was engrossed from the very start. Wonderfully rich storytelling had me wanting for more, and I could hardly wait to start the next book in the series." - Rainbow Awards
375 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 18, 2018
16 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
Elena Graf
19 books97 followersAward-winning novelist Elena Graf has been scribbling stories since high school. Her first novel, Occasions of Sin was published in 2012. She considers herself primarily a historical novelist, but she is probably best known for the contemporary Hobbs series, featuring a group of middle-aged women living in a small town in Maine.
The novels in the Passing Rites series are set in Europe in the early 20th century and show how a noble family dealt with the momentous changes of the period. Two volumes in the series won both Golden Crown Literary Society and Rainbow Awards for historical fiction.
Elena Graf pursued a Ph.D. in philosophy and often explores difficult moral situations in her fiction. She ended up in the “accidental profession” of publishing, where she worked for almost four decades. She lives in coastal Maine.
The novels in the Passing Rites series are set in Europe in the early 20th century and show how a noble family dealt with the momentous changes of the period. Two volumes in the series won both Golden Crown Literary Society and Rainbow Awards for historical fiction.
Elena Graf pursued a Ph.D. in philosophy and often explores difficult moral situations in her fiction. She ended up in the “accidental profession” of publishing, where she worked for almost four decades. She lives in coastal Maine.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 19, 2018
‘Lies of Omission’ is the follow-up to Elena Graf’s ‘Occasions of Sin.’ In the first book, the reader is introduced to Margarethe, an aristocratic surgeon and atheist…and Katherine, a nun with a past shrouded in mystery. The first book in this series is of their coming together.
‘Lies of Omission’ is written in first person from alternating perspectives, as was the first book. However, this go around, a third POV is added. Konrad, Margarethe’s cousin and Katherine’s husband (who is also introduced in the first book), is given his own voice.
‘Lies of Omission’ drops the reader in 1938 Berlin during a time when the Nazi policies of racial hygiene greatly influence the professional lives of our main protagonists. As both Margarethe and Katherine are doctors, they are both impacted by the rules that require them to report genetic defects and must make hard decisions on what side of the political landscape they will fall.
For romance lovers, this is, in fact, a love story within a very rich setting. Margarethe and Katherine are raising their daughter in Grunewald, but as happens in relationships, they have become a bit detached from one another over the years. Katherine is just starting her career and is often too busy to spend time with her daughter, never mind her partner. She also wants another child, which Margarethe is a bit reluctant to accept. Whereas book one was the story of their beginning, this is the story of their reconnection after the years have caused a sort of stagnation.
As noted in my review of the first book, the mains make a lot of decisions through this series that aren’t always comfortable to read about, but they are very real to human behavior. We watch the characters fall and we watch them pick themselves back up and grow.
I highly recommend this series, as I loved both books a great deal. They are beautifully written and the reader is fully immersed in a piece of history. It is not always a very pleasant history, but it is a very real one. My preference is for a book to give me something to think about, which is why I enjoy historical romance so much, and Graf has succeeded.
All the stars, plus some (if only that were possible).
Side note:
I recommend that 'Occasions of Sin' is read first.
For clarification, as there has been some confusion about why ‘Occasions of Sin’ is labeled book two and ‘Lies of Omission’ is labeled book three, the author wrote on GoodReads recently that: “Book 1 is actually a "prequel" and is still being written.”
‘Lies of Omission’ is written in first person from alternating perspectives, as was the first book. However, this go around, a third POV is added. Konrad, Margarethe’s cousin and Katherine’s husband (who is also introduced in the first book), is given his own voice.
‘Lies of Omission’ drops the reader in 1938 Berlin during a time when the Nazi policies of racial hygiene greatly influence the professional lives of our main protagonists. As both Margarethe and Katherine are doctors, they are both impacted by the rules that require them to report genetic defects and must make hard decisions on what side of the political landscape they will fall.
For romance lovers, this is, in fact, a love story within a very rich setting. Margarethe and Katherine are raising their daughter in Grunewald, but as happens in relationships, they have become a bit detached from one another over the years. Katherine is just starting her career and is often too busy to spend time with her daughter, never mind her partner. She also wants another child, which Margarethe is a bit reluctant to accept. Whereas book one was the story of their beginning, this is the story of their reconnection after the years have caused a sort of stagnation.
As noted in my review of the first book, the mains make a lot of decisions through this series that aren’t always comfortable to read about, but they are very real to human behavior. We watch the characters fall and we watch them pick themselves back up and grow.
I highly recommend this series, as I loved both books a great deal. They are beautifully written and the reader is fully immersed in a piece of history. It is not always a very pleasant history, but it is a very real one. My preference is for a book to give me something to think about, which is why I enjoy historical romance so much, and Graf has succeeded.
All the stars, plus some (if only that were possible).
Side note:
I recommend that 'Occasions of Sin' is read first.
For clarification, as there has been some confusion about why ‘Occasions of Sin’ is labeled book two and ‘Lies of Omission’ is labeled book three, the author wrote on GoodReads recently that: “Book 1 is actually a "prequel" and is still being written.”
April 3, 2019
I feel you, Eddie.
I didn't even know how to use words when I finished this last night, simply stared into space for a good 5 minutes. I was devastated and lost in thoughts, feeling incredibly saddened by what people went through during that time in history. Had it not been late, I probably would have got shit-faced drunk.
First off, let's talk about Margarethe. I don't think I have ever been as challenged by a character in any book. Like I mentioned in "Occasions of Sin" I had a love/hate relationship with her, but really grew to respect her. But boy was my patience tested with her in this one! My heart ached for her and Katherine's distance between one another, especially considering the major hurdles they had to navigate through to be together in the first place. However, obviously fractures happen with couples, especially when there is little to no communication,and little time spent together. But fuck, I was angry at Now I fully understand this series is more about the incredibly complex story than the love scenes, but I felt in this case, it was a pretty big flaw.
So even though I was very unhappy with M, Katherine also blew it with Katherine was somewhat weaker in this book and I found she faded in the background compared to book one. She did not hold the same allure for me. The addition of Konrad's perspective made me doubtful as I started reading, however his voice added way more to the story, considering the historic time this book took place.
Yes,I was upset at both MCs and wanted to whack them both upside the head, however both major flaws of these women added so much emotional depth to this heartbreaking story! My god, what a roller coaster of emotions, people. M's character is even more entrenched in my psyche....her devotion to her country even during war, her unfailing duty to keep her aristocratic ties, her emotional distance, her stubbornness, her deep seeded anxiety, and panic when she is not in control, her elegance yet unquestionable strength, her aloofness and coolness.....ARRRG! She kept revealing more layers that made her utterly fascinating to me, because she holds so many characteristics that I really do not like in a person. But Ms. Graf writes her so well that my head spins and I've kind of fallen for M in a bizarre way. WTF.
I had trouble sleeping for three nights because of this story (though it is debatable that one of those nights it was due to the half-pound of gummy bears paired with a cider that was consumed before bed time). I was, and still am affected. This is not an LGBT fluffy series, as evidenced by the swastika on this cover, and it does deal with real, highly disturbing events from the past. *shiver* I dread reading the next one for this reason alone, and from reviewing the synopsis I will need to take a wee break before I do so, but you better fucking believe I will be reading it with a lot of goddamned scotch in hand. jesus christ Ms. Graf, who are you. I am in awe.
November 12, 2018
After being immersed fully in Elena Graf's contrasting yet mesmerizing world of German aristocrats and convent nuns in "Occasions of Sin", it isn't really possible to look away. But the happy days are over. While we were relatively insulated from the political and social turmoil of the day in the first book, our characters can't really hide from the Nazi party's increasingly intrusive policies on "racial hygiene" and other forms of restrictions in the daily lives of its citizens.
The second book is an even more absorbing read than the first, as danger and treachery lurk at every corner and one never knows if our beloved characters, unconventional as their lifestyles are, are going to get caught up in the increasingly oppressive regime's "solutions".
Yet as they navigate these dangerous times, familiar domestic issues arise as Margarethe and the former Sister Augustine (now Dr. Katherine) let the weight of ambition, outside responsibilities and temptation get in the way of their relationship.
While its possible to dive into the saga with the second book, readers will miss out on the rich character studies of Katherine and especially Margerethe from the first. And why would one miss all that? You won't really get the choices they make here and just end up hating the characters. Also, the most fun part of reading about relationships is the chase. You don't want to miss that. :)
Pausing here to say personally, I prefer to go into my books blind, so if you're like me, don't read any further (there will be hints, like in the blurb but no actual spoilers)
Anyway, Margerethe and Katherine are older now but none the wiser. And sadly neither is Konrad, Margarethe's cousin, best friend and confidant, who, btw, gets his own POV chapters this book. Which is interesting because we now have an external look at our main protagonists. And because Konrad is much better connected with the outside world, he's also our window into the secret, organized anti-Nazi efforts during that time.
While I thought Margerethe too perfect in the first book, she isn't here. She makes some really questionable decisions, that while regrettable, aren't really out of character for someone her own aunt calls "a little tyrant". For someone used to always getting her own way, it's interesting to watch her learn that true love has its limits.
Katherine, on the other hand, suffers from an affliction Margerethe is very familiar with. She's a perfectionist. Even worse, Margarethe the super-achiever is her idol. And so she puts everything on hold, even her personal life, in pursuit of her career.
Circumstances and an obsessive fan create the perfect storm of a disaster on the domestic front, while recklessness and possibly aristocratic hubris puts our heroes' lives in actual danger.
There's a lot to look forward to in the second book in terms of plot and character development. Some of it really dark. Nazi-Germany dark. But along the way, savor the writing, the beautiful dialogue, glimpses of a history we'd rather not think about but should never forget. If book 1 was a feast for the senses, this one is for the heart.
5 stars
ARC from the author.
The second book is an even more absorbing read than the first, as danger and treachery lurk at every corner and one never knows if our beloved characters, unconventional as their lifestyles are, are going to get caught up in the increasingly oppressive regime's "solutions".
Yet as they navigate these dangerous times, familiar domestic issues arise as Margarethe and the former Sister Augustine (now Dr. Katherine) let the weight of ambition, outside responsibilities and temptation get in the way of their relationship.
While its possible to dive into the saga with the second book, readers will miss out on the rich character studies of Katherine and especially Margerethe from the first. And why would one miss all that? You won't really get the choices they make here and just end up hating the characters. Also, the most fun part of reading about relationships is the chase. You don't want to miss that. :)
Pausing here to say personally, I prefer to go into my books blind, so if you're like me, don't read any further (there will be hints, like in the blurb but no actual spoilers)
Anyway, Margerethe and Katherine are older now but none the wiser. And sadly neither is Konrad, Margarethe's cousin, best friend and confidant, who, btw, gets his own POV chapters this book. Which is interesting because we now have an external look at our main protagonists. And because Konrad is much better connected with the outside world, he's also our window into the secret, organized anti-Nazi efforts during that time.
While I thought Margerethe too perfect in the first book, she isn't here. She makes some really questionable decisions, that while regrettable, aren't really out of character for someone her own aunt calls "a little tyrant". For someone used to always getting her own way, it's interesting to watch her learn that true love has its limits.
Katherine, on the other hand, suffers from an affliction Margerethe is very familiar with. She's a perfectionist. Even worse, Margarethe the super-achiever is her idol. And so she puts everything on hold, even her personal life, in pursuit of her career.
Circumstances and an obsessive fan create the perfect storm of a disaster on the domestic front, while recklessness and possibly aristocratic hubris puts our heroes' lives in actual danger.
There's a lot to look forward to in the second book in terms of plot and character development. Some of it really dark. Nazi-Germany dark. But along the way, savor the writing, the beautiful dialogue, glimpses of a history we'd rather not think about but should never forget. If book 1 was a feast for the senses, this one is for the heart.
5 stars
ARC from the author.
October 6, 2018
I was really really anticipating the sequel to Occasions of Sin, so when author Elena Graf gave me the opportunity to read Lies of Omission (Passing Rites Book 3) a few weeks before the actual release date I was stoked! As soon as I read the very first page all the feelings came rushing back and I was immediately transported to late 30ies Germany, to the life of Margarethe von Stahle and Katherine von Holdenberg.
The story is again told from their point of view with the addition of a third voice, that of Konrad von Holdenberg (Margarethe’s cousin and Katherine’s husband).
Hitler and his National Socialist party are in power now and Germany is on the brink of war. I find it interesting that the author shows us what impact the Nazis had on their own people. A great many of them did not share Hitler’s views and turned to underground resistance. We don’t often get to see that side of the story portrayed.
There’s a dark cloud hanging over Margarethe and Katherine’s love life. Work, commitments and Katherine’s desire to have another child has put a strain on their relationship and it comes to an almost breaking point when Margarethe falls into lust with Countess Eva d’Allesandro, wife of the Italian under-consul who is relentlessly pursuing her. The two start a torrent affair and only when she almost loses it all, does Margarethe realize what she must truly fight for.
Elena Graf’s storytelling just blows me away. There is so much knowledge there, so much care for historic detail. The music, the passion, the politics, the culture, the attitude, the people and their struggles - she captures it all with so much style and refinement. I have an ongoing love-affair with authors this magnificent.
If you want to read the ultimate review, go read what T.T. Thomas wrote down. It is most excellent!
And this author comes with my highest recommendation!
f/f
Themes: Countess of the Uradel, the Charité, Pilze, ectopic pregnancy, poor Konrad, omg these two ladies grab my heart every time, the feels!!
5 stars
The story is again told from their point of view with the addition of a third voice, that of Konrad von Holdenberg (Margarethe’s cousin and Katherine’s husband).
Hitler and his National Socialist party are in power now and Germany is on the brink of war. I find it interesting that the author shows us what impact the Nazis had on their own people. A great many of them did not share Hitler’s views and turned to underground resistance. We don’t often get to see that side of the story portrayed.
There’s a dark cloud hanging over Margarethe and Katherine’s love life. Work, commitments and Katherine’s desire to have another child has put a strain on their relationship and it comes to an almost breaking point when Margarethe falls into lust with Countess Eva d’Allesandro, wife of the Italian under-consul who is relentlessly pursuing her. The two start a torrent affair and only when she almost loses it all, does Margarethe realize what she must truly fight for.
Elena Graf’s storytelling just blows me away. There is so much knowledge there, so much care for historic detail. The music, the passion, the politics, the culture, the attitude, the people and their struggles - she captures it all with so much style and refinement. I have an ongoing love-affair with authors this magnificent.
If you want to read the ultimate review, go read what T.T. Thomas wrote down. It is most excellent!
And this author comes with my highest recommendation!
f/f
Themes: Countess of the Uradel, the Charité, Pilze, ectopic pregnancy, poor Konrad, omg these two ladies grab my heart every time, the feels!!
5 stars
January 30, 2019
More an incredibly written volume of Passing Rites! Ｏ(≧∇≦)Ｏ
Oh, I missed Margarethe so much and "meeting her" again was a pleasure. (♧◑ω◑)☞♡
The book is written in three povs: Conrad (Margarethe's cousin and Katherine's beard (≧∪≦) ), Katherine (Margaret's Lover) and Margarethe (Central Character of the series).
In relation to the book 2, in this volume a few years have passed and the daughter of Katherine already is a small girl of 6 years. Margarethe adores the girl and spends more time with her than the biological mother because her work is much more flexible.
The relationship between Katherine and Margareth has entered a difficult time. Katherine is overloaded with her obstetrical career and because of her work sees very little her own daughter, as well she has no energy at the end of the day to pay attention to her relationship with Margarethe.
Also, Katherine really wants to get pregnant again, something that Margarethe is extremely against.
The discussion causes a fissure in the relationship. Amid this distance between the two, Margarethe is convinced to sing to raise funds to the hospital. In the event she finds an admirer, who normally would not appeal to her physically, but by her eccentricity and elegance seduces Margarethe.
Margarethe feels guilty because of her betrayal to Katherine, but she can't abstain from her new lover, Eva.
What is interesting in the case between Margarethe and Eva is that the passion between the two is purely carnal on Margarethe's part, but somewhat artistic in relation to Eva. Another interesting aspect is that Margarethe is seduced to the point that she behaves like never before with another lover, not even Katherine.
Katherine finds out what happened and after the fight, one would think that Margarethe could end up giving to Katherine's wish, but this doesn't happen. She still finds herself trapped in Eva's seduction. It is well after that Margarethe can move away from the mysterious and charming Eva.
I confess that I enjoyed the relationship between the two until the end. It was a singular and exciting adventure between these two. (︶ω︶)
To not extend myself too much, which I'm already doing (๑￫‿￩๑) ... Katherine, behind Margarethe's back, succeeds in self-insemination with the help of her husband (Konrad), however the pregnancy ends up going wrong (I will not go into detail).
Margarethe, after the event, reluctantly and worriedly agrees with Katherine's desire to be a mother again.
Anyway ... In the midst of all this personal situation between the characters, in the background the political situation in Germany begins to become more dangerous. Disappearing people, Jews being persecuted, resolutions to hospitals to report cases of patients who are mentally ill, or have any irregularities that don't follow the Nazi standard, etc.
And yet, in the midst of rumors of an impending war,Katherine wants to have a child ... Okay, all right Kat ...Have your new baby when you can't even give enough attention to her daughter ... Great mom (゜▽゜;)
ANYWAY (/・・)ノ , I'm not a Katherine's fan, I've never been (since book 2), so(•ิ_•ิ) ... Going back to review ...
To end this here, I can't help but comment that 5 stars is very little when you find the right book.
( ˘ ³˘)♥ ﾟ+｡:.ﾟ
Margarethe is a wonderful character. Of course, she's not perfect, but even her imperfections are attractive to me (´♡ω♡`)
I can't wait to read the next book and know what will happen to Margarethe in the midst of World War II! ＼（●゜∀゜●人●゜∀゜●）／
Oh, I missed Margarethe so much and "meeting her" again was a pleasure. (♧◑ω◑)☞♡
The book is written in three povs: Conrad (Margarethe's cousin and Katherine's beard (≧∪≦) ), Katherine (Margaret's Lover) and Margarethe (Central Character of the series).
In relation to the book 2, in this volume a few years have passed and the daughter of Katherine already is a small girl of 6 years. Margarethe adores the girl and spends more time with her than the biological mother because her work is much more flexible.
The relationship between Katherine and Margareth has entered a difficult time. Katherine is overloaded with her obstetrical career and because of her work sees very little her own daughter, as well she has no energy at the end of the day to pay attention to her relationship with Margarethe.
Also, Katherine really wants to get pregnant again, something that Margarethe is extremely against.
The discussion causes a fissure in the relationship. Amid this distance between the two, Margarethe is convinced to sing to raise funds to the hospital. In the event she finds an admirer, who normally would not appeal to her physically, but by her eccentricity and elegance seduces Margarethe.
Margarethe feels guilty because of her betrayal to Katherine, but she can't abstain from her new lover, Eva.
What is interesting in the case between Margarethe and Eva is that the passion between the two is purely carnal on Margarethe's part, but somewhat artistic in relation to Eva. Another interesting aspect is that Margarethe is seduced to the point that she behaves like never before with another lover, not even Katherine.
Katherine finds out what happened and after the fight, one would think that Margarethe could end up giving to Katherine's wish, but this doesn't happen. She still finds herself trapped in Eva's seduction. It is well after that Margarethe can move away from the mysterious and charming Eva.
I confess that I enjoyed the relationship between the two until the end. It was a singular and exciting adventure between these two. (︶ω︶)
To not extend myself too much, which I'm already doing (๑￫‿￩๑) ... Katherine, behind Margarethe's back, succeeds in self-insemination with the help of her husband (Konrad), however the pregnancy ends up going wrong (I will not go into detail).
Margarethe, after the event, reluctantly and worriedly agrees with Katherine's desire to be a mother again.
Anyway ... In the midst of all this personal situation between the characters, in the background the political situation in Germany begins to become more dangerous. Disappearing people, Jews being persecuted, resolutions to hospitals to report cases of patients who are mentally ill, or have any irregularities that don't follow the Nazi standard, etc.
And yet, in the midst of rumors of an impending war,Katherine wants to have a child ... Okay, all right Kat ...Have your new baby when you can't even give enough attention to her daughter ... Great mom (゜▽゜;)
ANYWAY (/・・)ノ , I'm not a Katherine's fan, I've never been (since book 2), so(•ิ_•ิ) ... Going back to review ...
To end this here, I can't help but comment that 5 stars is very little when you find the right book.
( ˘ ³˘)♥ ﾟ+｡:.ﾟ
Margarethe is a wonderful character. Of course, she's not perfect, but even her imperfections are attractive to me (´♡ω♡`)
I can't wait to read the next book and know what will happen to Margarethe in the midst of World War II! ＼（●゜∀゜●人●゜∀゜●）／
August 25, 2021
F@#king Hell! These books get more and more difficult as they go by. The story deals with a really challenging time in the character’s lives and nothing ever seems to get easier. The amount of grief I deal with for a fictional character is embarrassing. That being said, this series is one of the most in depth, well written, and emotionally captivating story progressions I have ever read. This is as far from your typical romance as you can get.
December 13, 2018
Do you ever feel like you need an antidote after reading a romance novel? That even though you are so glad there are feel-good escape books to take you away when you can't afford a vacation you still want to see things that reflect real life and speak, deeply, to matters of the heart? Elena Graf has a way with words that reach out and grab you and make you glad you could follow up a good book with a great one. Because I like writers who have their own voice as much as I like singers who do, I cannot help but think of this Billie Holiday quote: “If I'm going to sing like someone else, then I don't need to sing at all.” One reason, among others, Elena Graf is so good is because she sounds like nobody else.
September 19, 2018
Truth as a Powerful Aphrodisiac
Lies of Omission by Elena Graf is the stunning sequel to Occasions of Sin, and it delivers an even more deliberate blow to the heart and senses than its predecessor did.
Lies of Omission follows the lives of two main characters, Margarethe, a German noblewoman and doctor, and Katherine, a former nun and doctor, as they trudge together and alone toward the abyss that will become World War II in Germany.
The women are partners, friends, lovers, and uncommon soul mates. However, the terrors of Nazi Germany and the evil mindset that allowed it to graft itself onto a country in moral flux affect every relationship within its borders. Graf is at her most brilliant as she captures the inner dialog and conflicts of her characters as they kneel willingly before secret versions of “the imperative of desire.”
Katherine’s desire for a child and Margarethe’s steadfast objection to it (she has two adult children) causes one to wonder how they will last. Margarethe’s insuppressible desire for a secret assignation with an Italian woman we sense can only bring her grief, brings Katherine to a standstill of shock and ultimatum that finally addresses her own ambivalence about where her acceptance stops and Margarethe’s rapprochement must begin. For heaven’s sake, do not provoke the twin demons of jealousy and justice with a former nun, Margarethe!
Their deeply personal codes of honor are mirror reflections that some of their behavior both contradicts then supports. The two women reflect the great paradox of their times wherein love without sentimentality and devotion without veneration try to co-exist in a world tilting on an axis of isolation (America), self-sufficiency (Britain and its allies) and self-glorification (Germany). It’s a heady mixture of the impassive, the imperturbable and the cold-blooded atop a stew of questionable ingredients.
It can’t work; then it does work. Like warring nations, the two women are masters of the ambush, the concealment and the dramatic revelations that determine their fate.
The country that valued art, intellectual and scientific pursuits, civic and precision-minded practicality with its attendant national pride is the story of a culture that allowed Nazism to flourish in such an incidentally insidious way as to become the banality of evil that Hannah Arendt identified years later. You almost cannot see it coming.
Each woman has a fundamentally different response to the growing political and military threat in Germany. Where Margarethe’s practicality, sense of superiority and Weimar-sourced libido is able to bracket her various experiences, longings and tendencies into a matrix of common sense, detached sexuality and artistic fervor, Katherine’s outlook and responses are grounded more in fidelity, sentiment and an empathic world view that threatens to overtake common sense.
Graf has again tossed us wildly between the far-flung walls of her imagination and our wobbly sense of what the German citizens moral reality really was. If writing be a thirst that must be quenched, then reading be the warm, sweet concoction that keeps us coming back for more even as we fear it might kill us. It’s not fatal, though. Indeed, Graf’s writing is almost sacred. It reverently reveals its potency slowly, like a time-release conscience drug. Graf’s writing challenges readers to change perspective from easy answers to nuanced layers of truth, and that is a powerful aphrodisiac. We fall in love with people we wouldn’t entirely want to be like.
We see the politically out-of-favor German nobility whose elitism stems from an inviolate respect for tradition, position and education, and we see the insularity of convent life where kindness and trust in God is the ultimate answer to everything.
Is it but a short step to the right from there across the racial purity lines and human accountability markers? Not if conscience, character and morality is the fundamental difference, but Graf seems to suggest that those traditional and self-imposed sequestered attitudes, if left unexamined, can result in the same tragedies, the same short-sightedness, the same holocaust. The same capacity for moral expediency. But her characters do confront this conundrum of culture versus compassion, even as they do so from the rarefied literal and emotional cliffs of their privilege.
Interestingly, their positions on so many subjects mirror exactly the national mindset of Germany at this time wherein the nationalistic pride of the Fatherland seamlessly devolved into the purity codes and other travesties. These were offset, to an ineffectual degree, by a general benefit-of-the-doubt approach that said, in essence, the worst of Nazi polemics could never become law of the land because they were irrational, anti-intellectual, anti-scientific, and even unthinkable. If national pride and naïveté had a child…
This is story of great passions, great failings and great successes from women faced with choices, decisions and realities nothing could prepare them for as they try to go about their daily regimen of being doctors in a country that tells them to report any and all “anomalies”—Nazi speak for the deformed, the diseased and the dispossessed. That more clearly came to include all Jews, Travelers (Gypsies), Homosexuals, Catholics, Socialists and anyone in society not of pure Aryan heritage from both parents.
The interplay between the two women, as well as several secondary characters, was so credible and heart stopping, the novel seemed equal parts romance, mystery and thriller.
Graf is an exceptionally talented writer who trades in such nuance and subtlety of emotion that pages mesmerize the heart and eyes. A ‘first’ book in this series, a prequel, will be released last, and the fourth book in the series should arrive in 2019. In the meantime, do yourself a favor, read Lies of Omission. It is not necessary to read Occasions of Sin first, but you’ll want to read both. Highly Recommended.
Lies of Omission by Elena Graf is the stunning sequel to Occasions of Sin, and it delivers an even more deliberate blow to the heart and senses than its predecessor did.
Lies of Omission follows the lives of two main characters, Margarethe, a German noblewoman and doctor, and Katherine, a former nun and doctor, as they trudge together and alone toward the abyss that will become World War II in Germany.
The women are partners, friends, lovers, and uncommon soul mates. However, the terrors of Nazi Germany and the evil mindset that allowed it to graft itself onto a country in moral flux affect every relationship within its borders. Graf is at her most brilliant as she captures the inner dialog and conflicts of her characters as they kneel willingly before secret versions of “the imperative of desire.”
Katherine’s desire for a child and Margarethe’s steadfast objection to it (she has two adult children) causes one to wonder how they will last. Margarethe’s insuppressible desire for a secret assignation with an Italian woman we sense can only bring her grief, brings Katherine to a standstill of shock and ultimatum that finally addresses her own ambivalence about where her acceptance stops and Margarethe’s rapprochement must begin. For heaven’s sake, do not provoke the twin demons of jealousy and justice with a former nun, Margarethe!
Their deeply personal codes of honor are mirror reflections that some of their behavior both contradicts then supports. The two women reflect the great paradox of their times wherein love without sentimentality and devotion without veneration try to co-exist in a world tilting on an axis of isolation (America), self-sufficiency (Britain and its allies) and self-glorification (Germany). It’s a heady mixture of the impassive, the imperturbable and the cold-blooded atop a stew of questionable ingredients.
It can’t work; then it does work. Like warring nations, the two women are masters of the ambush, the concealment and the dramatic revelations that determine their fate.
The country that valued art, intellectual and scientific pursuits, civic and precision-minded practicality with its attendant national pride is the story of a culture that allowed Nazism to flourish in such an incidentally insidious way as to become the banality of evil that Hannah Arendt identified years later. You almost cannot see it coming.
Each woman has a fundamentally different response to the growing political and military threat in Germany. Where Margarethe’s practicality, sense of superiority and Weimar-sourced libido is able to bracket her various experiences, longings and tendencies into a matrix of common sense, detached sexuality and artistic fervor, Katherine’s outlook and responses are grounded more in fidelity, sentiment and an empathic world view that threatens to overtake common sense.
Graf has again tossed us wildly between the far-flung walls of her imagination and our wobbly sense of what the German citizens moral reality really was. If writing be a thirst that must be quenched, then reading be the warm, sweet concoction that keeps us coming back for more even as we fear it might kill us. It’s not fatal, though. Indeed, Graf’s writing is almost sacred. It reverently reveals its potency slowly, like a time-release conscience drug. Graf’s writing challenges readers to change perspective from easy answers to nuanced layers of truth, and that is a powerful aphrodisiac. We fall in love with people we wouldn’t entirely want to be like.
We see the politically out-of-favor German nobility whose elitism stems from an inviolate respect for tradition, position and education, and we see the insularity of convent life where kindness and trust in God is the ultimate answer to everything.
Is it but a short step to the right from there across the racial purity lines and human accountability markers? Not if conscience, character and morality is the fundamental difference, but Graf seems to suggest that those traditional and self-imposed sequestered attitudes, if left unexamined, can result in the same tragedies, the same short-sightedness, the same holocaust. The same capacity for moral expediency. But her characters do confront this conundrum of culture versus compassion, even as they do so from the rarefied literal and emotional cliffs of their privilege.
Interestingly, their positions on so many subjects mirror exactly the national mindset of Germany at this time wherein the nationalistic pride of the Fatherland seamlessly devolved into the purity codes and other travesties. These were offset, to an ineffectual degree, by a general benefit-of-the-doubt approach that said, in essence, the worst of Nazi polemics could never become law of the land because they were irrational, anti-intellectual, anti-scientific, and even unthinkable. If national pride and naïveté had a child…
This is story of great passions, great failings and great successes from women faced with choices, decisions and realities nothing could prepare them for as they try to go about their daily regimen of being doctors in a country that tells them to report any and all “anomalies”—Nazi speak for the deformed, the diseased and the dispossessed. That more clearly came to include all Jews, Travelers (Gypsies), Homosexuals, Catholics, Socialists and anyone in society not of pure Aryan heritage from both parents.
The interplay between the two women, as well as several secondary characters, was so credible and heart stopping, the novel seemed equal parts romance, mystery and thriller.
Graf is an exceptionally talented writer who trades in such nuance and subtlety of emotion that pages mesmerize the heart and eyes. A ‘first’ book in this series, a prequel, will be released last, and the fourth book in the series should arrive in 2019. In the meantime, do yourself a favor, read Lies of Omission. It is not necessary to read Occasions of Sin first, but you’ll want to read both. Highly Recommended.
April 11, 2019
Lies of Omission, a sequel to Occasions of Sin, takes place in Germany during the late 1930s and concludes with the 1939 invasion of Poland, a move that began World War II. There is quite a cast of characters in this riveting page turner. Margarethe von Stahle, is a surgeon at Berlin’s Charite Hospital and instructor at the medical school; Katherine von Holdenberg, a gynecologist at St. Hilde's Hospital in Berlin and Konrad von Holdenberg, a first cousin of Margarethe, who manages the family’s investments and business holdings.
Margarethe, however, is the principal mover and shaker in this gripping tale of a woman, bred from the old Prussian aristocracy, highly educated, stunning to look at, brilliant and, without a doubt, a polymath without equal. As such, her uber alles personality can be a bit much. Katherine, an ex-nun, is the wife of Margarethe's cousin, Konrad, in a “mariage de convenance.” However, her heart belongs to Margarethe in a barely-disguised lesbian relationship. Konrad, is gay to the marrow, but does fulfill his marital obligations when required.
There is an engaging cast of secondary characters, prominent among them are Reverend Mother Scholastica, the head of a religious order that goes back to the Middle Ages and which, ironically, is heavily subsidized by the atheist, her niece, Margarethe. Other players in this fast-moving drama are Margarethe's mother, Lady Ursula, unhappily ensconced in the family's ancestral estate at Edelheim, Franz Borchert, the Catholic priest and sometime lover of Konrad, with whom he conspires to undermine the Nazi regime, and a genuine femme fatale, Countess Eva d' Allessandro. There are also Margarethe’s friends from England, including Charles Calder and Nigel, his diplomat brother, who makes a last-ditch effort to get Margarethe and her family to flee to England on the eve of war.
The settings are vividly drawn and change frequently. One moment we are in bed with Konrad and Franz in a Prague hotel and the next, with Eva and Margarethe in the former's posh villa in Rome. Then we are in the Stahle Family Box at the Opera House, where Margarethe sings the part of Octavian in Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier.
Just about everyone acts in a way or does stuff they shouldn't do and their actions will end disastrously later on in the book. That said, the characters do have redeeming qualities. Witness the care and concern Katherine extends to a Jewish woman during Kristallnacht. Or the fact that Margarethe finally agrees to involve herself in resistance efforts, in spite of the potential danger.
Ms. Graf excels at keeping the Nazi menace in the background and only little by little does the true nature of the coming catastrophe become evident until it is too late. Even though the principal characters try mightily to stay focused on their own petty concerns, more and more, like an ominous, black cloud on the horizon, reality sets in with a vengeance.
The book clearly and eerily has obvious parallels with today's world-wide dystopia: the rising tension fueled by populism and its discontents, corrupt leaders that fuel that discontent, economic anxiety best expressed by income inequality, intolerance of minorities, government polarization and gridlock, resentment of the elite class which includes intellectuals and propaganda that distracts from the truth by repeating lies and false accusations of “fake news.”
Taken individually, perhaps these events seem of little import but taken collectively, they reflect a clear warning of the potential for a repeat performance of the 1930s. Ms. Graf's engaging and well-written story is a wake-up call of what happens when people or citizens fail to recognize and respond to these threats.
Margarethe, however, is the principal mover and shaker in this gripping tale of a woman, bred from the old Prussian aristocracy, highly educated, stunning to look at, brilliant and, without a doubt, a polymath without equal. As such, her uber alles personality can be a bit much. Katherine, an ex-nun, is the wife of Margarethe's cousin, Konrad, in a “mariage de convenance.” However, her heart belongs to Margarethe in a barely-disguised lesbian relationship. Konrad, is gay to the marrow, but does fulfill his marital obligations when required.
There is an engaging cast of secondary characters, prominent among them are Reverend Mother Scholastica, the head of a religious order that goes back to the Middle Ages and which, ironically, is heavily subsidized by the atheist, her niece, Margarethe. Other players in this fast-moving drama are Margarethe's mother, Lady Ursula, unhappily ensconced in the family's ancestral estate at Edelheim, Franz Borchert, the Catholic priest and sometime lover of Konrad, with whom he conspires to undermine the Nazi regime, and a genuine femme fatale, Countess Eva d' Allessandro. There are also Margarethe’s friends from England, including Charles Calder and Nigel, his diplomat brother, who makes a last-ditch effort to get Margarethe and her family to flee to England on the eve of war.
The settings are vividly drawn and change frequently. One moment we are in bed with Konrad and Franz in a Prague hotel and the next, with Eva and Margarethe in the former's posh villa in Rome. Then we are in the Stahle Family Box at the Opera House, where Margarethe sings the part of Octavian in Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier.
Just about everyone acts in a way or does stuff they shouldn't do and their actions will end disastrously later on in the book. That said, the characters do have redeeming qualities. Witness the care and concern Katherine extends to a Jewish woman during Kristallnacht. Or the fact that Margarethe finally agrees to involve herself in resistance efforts, in spite of the potential danger.
Ms. Graf excels at keeping the Nazi menace in the background and only little by little does the true nature of the coming catastrophe become evident until it is too late. Even though the principal characters try mightily to stay focused on their own petty concerns, more and more, like an ominous, black cloud on the horizon, reality sets in with a vengeance.
The book clearly and eerily has obvious parallels with today's world-wide dystopia: the rising tension fueled by populism and its discontents, corrupt leaders that fuel that discontent, economic anxiety best expressed by income inequality, intolerance of minorities, government polarization and gridlock, resentment of the elite class which includes intellectuals and propaganda that distracts from the truth by repeating lies and false accusations of “fake news.”
Taken individually, perhaps these events seem of little import but taken collectively, they reflect a clear warning of the potential for a repeat performance of the 1930s. Ms. Graf's engaging and well-written story is a wake-up call of what happens when people or citizens fail to recognize and respond to these threats.
September 21, 2018
This is the second novel released in the series (Book 1 which precedes Occasions of Sin) has yet to be published. It continues the story of the romance between Margarethe von Stahle, a German aristocrat and respected surgeon, and Katherine Tierney von Holdenberg, a former nun, who is now a practicing obstetrician. The book spirals two tales: one, a portrait of their relationship (a marriage, for all intents and purposes) as it struggles to overcome a serious infidelity and decisions related to childrearing; and two, a society (Germany) in the grip of the Nazi era (the book takes place during 1938-39). While Margarethe has been able to shield herself and her family from the early years of the regime, it all catches up to the during these two years and both she and Katherine must make decisions about how and when they will resist.
One way I know that I've been affected by a book is when I experience a hunger to continue reading about its characters. Even days after I read the last page, Margarethe and Katherine have stayed with me and I long to read about how they and their children lived through WWII.
Elena Graf has written for us in 2018 a cautionary tale about the creeping nature of authoritarianism and fascism, one that will make you question your own actions and wonder why you aren't doing more.
This is a well-written book by an accomplished author and I recommend it highly.
I was provided an ARC by the author in exchange for an honest review.
One way I know that I've been affected by a book is when I experience a hunger to continue reading about its characters. Even days after I read the last page, Margarethe and Katherine have stayed with me and I long to read about how they and their children lived through WWII.
Elena Graf has written for us in 2018 a cautionary tale about the creeping nature of authoritarianism and fascism, one that will make you question your own actions and wonder why you aren't doing more.
This is a well-written book by an accomplished author and I recommend it highly.
I was provided an ARC by the author in exchange for an honest review.
April 14, 2022
What a book! brilliant and at the same time a very tough read: For one the Nazis are more and more taking over Germany and medicine with their pseudoscience of race and hygiene. Graf catches brilliantly the tough decisions to be made even by those privileged and many have to pay a high or even ultimate price. Margarete is … sigh, Margerete. Sometimes one wants to bang her over her head but basically she is a heroic butch who tries her best although she sometimes slips.
March 28, 2021
What we don't say can hurt more than all the truth we can hear.
The continued journey of Margarethe and Katherine take us into something beyond simple understanding. It is 1938, the Nazis regime is taking power and life is changing fast. Katherine s daughter Fiona has brought a love into the house but Dr hours keep our heroines busy. To protect themselves and each other they will make choices that could destroy so much. I can't begin to express the emotions that ran through me reading this story. Chills as history unfolds in the lives of characters I love. Anger for not making good choices and simply not telling something to someone they say they love. The characters are complex and so real at a time I can remember from history books. I love that a life story is flushed out so I can glimpse many views of a cathartic moment in history. I felt such fear and horror many times but a deep love of these characters.. Thank Elena Graf for the brilliant portrait.
The continued journey of Margarethe and Katherine take us into something beyond simple understanding. It is 1938, the Nazis regime is taking power and life is changing fast. Katherine s daughter Fiona has brought a love into the house but Dr hours keep our heroines busy. To protect themselves and each other they will make choices that could destroy so much. I can't begin to express the emotions that ran through me reading this story. Chills as history unfolds in the lives of characters I love. Anger for not making good choices and simply not telling something to someone they say they love. The characters are complex and so real at a time I can remember from history books. I love that a life story is flushed out so I can glimpse many views of a cathartic moment in history. I felt such fear and horror many times but a deep love of these characters.. Thank Elena Graf for the brilliant portrait.
April 18, 2021
This series just gets better and better, but I have to say that this book was my least favorite so far. It's much darker than the others, even though they all deal with death in some way, but the rise of the Nazis underneath everything soured my stomach at times.
Graf continues to delve deeply into the emotional maelstrom that always seems to underscore Margarethe's life, even when the perspective is not Margarethe's own. We learn more about how Margarethe affects those around her, drawing them in as surely as moths to a flame.
Lies of Omission starts us out as Konrad, Margarethe's beloved cousin, in a Germany on the cusp of World War II. We're given insight into some of the more industrial aspects as part of Margarethe's holdings include a steel factory and mine, as well as an in-depth look at how the medical field was impacted by Hitler's insane ideas.
However, the twists this third book took, with Margarethe having an affair with Eva, the Italian Deputy-Consul's wife, while Katherine struggles with her overwhelming professional demands, feeling like a bad mother and lover, the discovery of the affair, and a near-death experience quite upset me. Add the increasing violence perpetrated by the Nazis against not only those they believed unworthy but against those brave enough to join the resistance and you've got a recipe for disaster... and the Second World War. Graf's detailed writing cuts deep at times.
Graf continues to do a wonderful job of endearing the main and even secondary or tertiary characters to the reader (or making you loathe them at times) and putting you right there in the middle of the story, almost as if you were these people. I can't wait to see how the series ends; I'm desperate for a HEA after all the war and tragedy!
Graf continues to delve deeply into the emotional maelstrom that always seems to underscore Margarethe's life, even when the perspective is not Margarethe's own. We learn more about how Margarethe affects those around her, drawing them in as surely as moths to a flame.
Lies of Omission starts us out as Konrad, Margarethe's beloved cousin, in a Germany on the cusp of World War II. We're given insight into some of the more industrial aspects as part of Margarethe's holdings include a steel factory and mine, as well as an in-depth look at how the medical field was impacted by Hitler's insane ideas.
However, the twists this third book took, with Margarethe having an affair with Eva, the Italian Deputy-Consul's wife, while Katherine struggles with her overwhelming professional demands, feeling like a bad mother and lover, the discovery of the affair, and a near-death experience quite upset me. Add the increasing violence perpetrated by the Nazis against not only those they believed unworthy but against those brave enough to join the resistance and you've got a recipe for disaster... and the Second World War. Graf's detailed writing cuts deep at times.
Graf continues to do a wonderful job of endearing the main and even secondary or tertiary characters to the reader (or making you loathe them at times) and putting you right there in the middle of the story, almost as if you were these people. I can't wait to see how the series ends; I'm desperate for a HEA after all the war and tragedy!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2021
History come alive
Rezension aus Deutschland vom 9. August 2020
Each book of Elena Graf's historical Passing Rites series deals with a different stage of aristocratic surgeon Margarethe von Stahle's life, and is set in a different era of German history: the German Empire, the Weimar Republic, NS and post World War II Germany; each book perfectly capturing the different atmospheres of life under these respective forms of government.
This installment, Lies of Omission, is set in Nazi Germany from 1938 up until the eve of World War II on 1 September 1939.
The author successfully puts herself, and her readers, in the shoes of her true to life characters, offering what feels like an insider's take on this thoroughly researched, most horrific chapter of German history.
This book is a historical, and not a romance novel, though it does contain very touching moments of romance, as well as a complex network of personal and all kinds of other relationships among its characters.
Its considerable suspense is derived almost exclusively from historical facts, resulting in quite a few deeply emotional moments - without ever crossing the line into the overly sentimental.
For me as a German of the "Kriegsenkel" generation (i.e. grandchildren of war), reading this book felt like history come alive, which was quite different an experience from what I was taught in history lessons at school (though the facts are the same), or what I learned from my parents, who were but little children at the time, or our grandparents, who preferred not to talk about this period of their lives at all.
It is certainly not an easy book to read, but very well written and highly recommendable.
Rezension aus Deutschland vom 9. August 2020
Each book of Elena Graf's historical Passing Rites series deals with a different stage of aristocratic surgeon Margarethe von Stahle's life, and is set in a different era of German history: the German Empire, the Weimar Republic, NS and post World War II Germany; each book perfectly capturing the different atmospheres of life under these respective forms of government.
This installment, Lies of Omission, is set in Nazi Germany from 1938 up until the eve of World War II on 1 September 1939.
The author successfully puts herself, and her readers, in the shoes of her true to life characters, offering what feels like an insider's take on this thoroughly researched, most horrific chapter of German history.
This book is a historical, and not a romance novel, though it does contain very touching moments of romance, as well as a complex network of personal and all kinds of other relationships among its characters.
Its considerable suspense is derived almost exclusively from historical facts, resulting in quite a few deeply emotional moments - without ever crossing the line into the overly sentimental.
For me as a German of the "Kriegsenkel" generation (i.e. grandchildren of war), reading this book felt like history come alive, which was quite different an experience from what I was taught in history lessons at school (though the facts are the same), or what I learned from my parents, who were but little children at the time, or our grandparents, who preferred not to talk about this period of their lives at all.
It is certainly not an easy book to read, but very well written and highly recommendable.
July 29, 2019
I've just finished Books 2 and 3 of this series and it's hard to know where to begin to describe this story. Without hyperbole, it is a sweeping saga of a time in history that is rarely lent to a love story of this magnitude.
It's obvious that the author is a student and lover of history, because there are details in these books that many wouldn't include or find important. This author has done more than mere homework. This story encompasses a couple of decades of German history from the beginning of the Nazi uprising in Germany, up to and through World War II, when all is said and done (Passing Rites Book 4 will, I believe take us to the war and out the other side), and while knowing this, the anticipation is palpable for Book 4 to arrive in a few days.
For me to try and describe the characters would take many paragraphs, and I believe others have done a superb job of doing so ahead of me. They are fully fleshed-out and complete. We see their development and their mindsets change and evolve over the years in which this story takes place.
Once you're involved in this story, it will take you away. A simplistic description, but apt all the same.
It's obvious that the author is a student and lover of history, because there are details in these books that many wouldn't include or find important. This author has done more than mere homework. This story encompasses a couple of decades of German history from the beginning of the Nazi uprising in Germany, up to and through World War II, when all is said and done (Passing Rites Book 4 will, I believe take us to the war and out the other side), and while knowing this, the anticipation is palpable for Book 4 to arrive in a few days.
For me to try and describe the characters would take many paragraphs, and I believe others have done a superb job of doing so ahead of me. They are fully fleshed-out and complete. We see their development and their mindsets change and evolve over the years in which this story takes place.
Once you're involved in this story, it will take you away. A simplistic description, but apt all the same.
January 15, 2019
This book is another brilliant work of historical fiction. This book will make you hate characters you previously loved from Occassions of Sin. You will want to cry, rip you hair out and comfort the characters. Graf has outdone herself with her potrayal of pre WWII Germany, just before the outbreak of war. You will regret not reading this book.
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